Caelyx and Calleach
by SlytherinSon
Summary: In every Generation the Balance is born. What happens when not only is the Balance born early, but both halves are broken. This is Completely AU. There are no plans at this time to make this a Draco/Harry pairing.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I own the Caelyx, the Calleach and the storyline. More's the pity.**

Caelyx and Calleach:

Prologue

In every generation the Balance is born. One Caelyx, the pure Light, born of hope, good faith, Life and Love. They hold the powers of Creation, peaceful resolution and they shine with the brilliant white Grace that calms every heart and stills every mind.

The other half of this Balance is the Calleach, the everlasting Dark, born of despair, bad faith, Death and Hatred. They bear the powers of Destruction, animosity, and they disappear within the all-encompassing black Grace that sets blood to boiling and turns minds to chaos.

Alone and separate, both have the potential to upset the carefully balanced scales, either to stagnation in the Ordered Light or to ruin in the Chaotic Dark. Together and bound, whether as siblings, as lovers or even as sworn enemies, the Balance is maintained. The Light and the Dark flourish and all the shades of grey between.

In every generation they are born, however, not all of them survive. This leads to the rise of the Lords, the Unbalanced. For a Caelyx without a Calleach is just as dangerous as a Calleach without a Caelyx.


	2. Chapter 2

Caelyx and Calleach:

Chapter 1

Draco lay on his bed in the Slytherin dorms with his head stuffed under a pillow. He had been unable to concentrate all day and his magic had been acting strangely, starting with the botched hair-grooming charm that he had been using since he was six to tame his fine platinum blond hair and culminating in a spectacularly exploded cauldron of Boil-Cure Potion that covered the entire classroom in foul smelling vomit orange sludge. He had lost Slytherin nearly a hundred points for that particular fuck-up. Now it was the middle of the night and he could not fall asleep amidst the snoring of his dorm mates. He lay awake pondering the reason for his magic's erratic performance when his back started to tingle.

_Oh, Salazar, please don't let this be what I think it is,_ he thought. The tingling turned into a burning and he could barely muffle the moan of pain that threatened to escape. _No, no, no, _he screamed inside his head _not now, not here, not like this, in a room filled with Junior Death-Eaters. _Then the skin on his back split open as a set of blindingly white wings ripped through. Not even Merlin himself could have stifled the scream that tore its way out of Draco's throat.

The room exploded into movement at his shriek. _Shit, I am going to die, _Draco thought, his mind too fuzzy with pain to comprehend what was truly going on around him. He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder and as blackness descended, heard a somewhat familiar voice say: "Don't worry, my Lord. We will protect you and stand by you though everything."


	3. Chapter 3

Caelyx and Calleach:

Chapter 2

The dorm was silent except for the snoring and nocturnal mutterings of the sleeping occupants. No one stirred when the first ill-concealed groan came from the furthest bed, but when the screaming started; the boys were jolted awake in a whirlwind of confusion and bright white light.

"What the fuck?"

"Bloody Hell."

"Draco!"

"What the Hell is that?"

Shouts and confusion reigned as the four Slytherin boys struggled to figure out what was happening. Blaise was the first to understand.

"He is changing! His Inheritance is starting!"

The shouting stopped abruptly as the boys turned to see the three-tiered wings furl themselves from Draco's back in a spray of blood.

"It's six months too soon." Greg whispered.

"What is he?" Theo asked.

The other three boys looked at each other. "Caelyx." They said.

"Caelyx?" Theo gasped in awe, "You know what we have to do right?"

Blaise, Greg and Vince held their breaths in trepidation as prayed that the next words out of Theo's mouth were not what they feared.

"We have to tell our parents, we have to tell the Dark Lord! Can you imagine the honor He would give us if we brought him a newborn Caelyx? He will see that we are loyal, maybe even grant us our Marks!" Theo said excitement and anticipation shining on his face.

"Wrong answer." Blaise said, "Our Lord is here in this room and we already bear his mark. We might have offered you a place with us, but you have made your position clear. I'm sorry Theo. _Obliviate!_"

Theo ducked the bright blue light that flew toward him and shot the red light of _Stupify_ back. Spells flew back and forth between Blaise, Theo and Greg while Vince scrambled to shield the prone Caelyx who was wavering in and out of consciousness.

"Don't worry, My Lord, we will protect and stand by you through everything." Vince said. He heard Draco murmur, then felt his body relax as he slipped fully into unconsciousness.

Greg managed to land a _Petrificus Totalis_ on Theo that dropped him like a box of hot rocks just as Theo's last stunner tagged Greg in the chest, blowing him back over his bed to land in a heap on the other side. Blaise revived Greg and made sure he was alright before stepping over to Theo, stunning and binding him. The three boys stood in shocked silence for several moments, attempting to calm their hearts and process the betrayal of their once friend.

A soft whimper sounded through the room and the boys turned to watch Draco's wings slowly furling and unfurling, the individual feathers separating and twitching, flicking away bits of blood and goo, and unfortunately causing more damage to Draco's back and shoulders than his traumatized body and magic could tolerate. Blaise pointed his wand at Draco and _Stupified_ him.

"Stay with him Vince; knock him out whenever he comes around. Greg, go get Professor Snape, tell him the Caelyx is born in the Slytherin Fifth Year dorms, then go to Gryffindor Tower, use the password 'Light's Darkness' and give the person who answers the same message, then get Madame Pomfrey from the Hospital Wing. I'll deal with Theo." Blaise ordered.

Greg and Vince nodded their agreement and Vince cast a silencing spell around himself and Draco so as not to alert the rest of Slytherin of the chaos in the Fifth Year dorms. Greg opened the door and went to leave when he was stopped by Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass who had obviously been trying to get in for quite a while.

"What is going on? The whole house is awake and we had to block the hall to anyone not of the Courts." Pansy said.

"Pansy, go with Greg, he will explain. Daphne, in here with us." Blaise said.

Pansy looked like she was about to argue and Blaise broke in. "Don't argue, just go." He said.

Pansy glared at him, but left; following Greg through the Barrier and out into the school proper. Daphne entered the room slowly as if trying to avoid Blaise's wrath, gasping when she saw the shattered Malfoy on the bed.

"It's too soon, Blaise. Why has it happened now?" She whispered.

"We don't know Daphne, but right now I need you to be his Darkness until his Calleach is with him. Can you do it?" Blaise asked.

"Yes, my lord Captain, though, I'm not entirely sure how much good I'll do." Daphne said, moving over to touch Draco where his wings met his body.

Draco stirred at the contact, but did not wake and Daphne stroked up the newly erupted wings, stilling them and stabilizing them so they would not cause any more damage to Draco's already torn muscles. Blowing out a slight sigh of relief, Blaise watched the darkest person he knew hold his friend together. Even the little bit of relief Daphne gave him was better than none. He only hoped it would be enough for Greg and Pansy to gather the rest of the Courts and the Calleach.


	4. Chapter 4

Caelyx and Calleach:

Chapter 3

Greg and Pansy made their way down the corridor toward Severus Snape's quarters. They moved swiftly enough to convey urgency, but they did not run. Even in these troubled circumstances, Greg and Pansy were Slytherins; and even in the wee hours of the morning, safe in the privacy of their own dungeons, Slytherins did now show panic, did not run frantic down the halls, and most certainly did not act with anything other than dignity within any area of the school outside their own Common Room.

They walked silently down the hall. Pansy, outwardly the picture of a calm and collected woman of Salazar's House, could not control the slight tremble of her body in response to the worry about her oldest friend. Greg reached out and grasped her hand, slowing his longer strides to hers. She squeezed his hand tightly; offering a small smile of thanks as he gently led her down to their Head of House's quarters. Pansy was anxious to find out what happened, but she knew that if Blaise had sent them then he had sent a message that explained the whole fiasco in a couple of simple sentences. She was proven right when a ruffled and rather irate Snape answered the door.

"Have you any idea what time it is? What could you two possibly want at this unholy hour of the morning?" Snape growled.

Greg looked directly at the scowling professor and spoke the words Blaise had told him. "I'm sorry Professor, but we have a problem in the House. The Caelyx is born in the Slytherin Fifth Year dorms."

Snape stared at them for a moment. "Bollox!" he exclaimed, "You know the protocol?"

"Yes, Professor," Greg said, "Blaise has given the order."

"Well, there is no question about who the Captain of Draco's Guard is." Snape muttered to himself and sighed. "Continue with your mission, I will be in the dormitory." His robes billowed around him as he turned back into his quarters to attire himself in something more appropriate to gallivanting the halls at ungodly hours.

The two Slytherins stared at the door as it slammed in their faces. Greg and Pansy blinked at the door for a moment, and then Greg shook his head.

"I really wish I knew how he does that." Greg said.

"You and me both, it's impressive every time." Pansy said.

"Come on, Pans, we have other stops to make." Greg said, taking Pansy's hand again and leading her toward the Gryffindor Tower.


	5. Chapter 5

**Caelyx and Calleach**

**Chapter 4**

Severus leaned against the closed door to his quarters breathing heavily. The worst had happened. Some outside source had triggered Draco's Inheritance early. The question was what happened and more pressingly what would this mean for the network of spies both Dark and Light whose escape plans and sabotage set-ups depended on the first of the pair coming to maturity in June.

Severus sighed and pushed himself away from the door. There was nothing he could do now but send the signal and hope everyone survived. He stalked over to the fireplace and tossed a handful of glittering silver powder into the flames, calling out an address.

"Get here now. We have a problem." Severus said to the face that appeared in the flames, "Bring everything you need to run."

When the head disappeared Severus took another handful of Floo Powder and dripped several drips of deep purple liquid onto it. He flung the now purple powder into the flames. The potion coating the powder would make every fire on the secure network flare purple, the signal that Draco had reached his Maturity.

As the purple flames died, Severus heard the _crack_ of a house-elf apparating into his quarters. The half-a-dozen boxes and trunks that appeared in his living room he quite expected. What shocked him was the blood-streaked platinum blonde hair of a kneeling Lucius Malfoy, who was clinging tightly to a rather fierce looking house-elf.

The house-elf raised her head and looked around. When her eyes landed on Severus she started babbling. "Master Severus! Mistress 'Cissa saw the flare! She cursed our Master Lucius, Abby tried to catch him, but he hit the wall. The best Abby could do was protect him. Abby is a bad, bad elf! She attacked her mistress! Help him Master Severus, please!"

"Abby!" Severus barked, startling the house-elf into silence, "You are a good elf. You protected your Master from a very bad Mistress, one who will, soon, no longer be a Malfoy at all. Now tell me, is Lucius hurt badly? And for Merlin's sake, stop calling me Master."

"Master Lucius is unconscious. Abby believes he passed out on the trip here." The house-elf said.

Severus bowed his head and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. He was jumping from one crisis to another with no time to solve one before another came along._ Centralize, _he thought. If he could bring all the crises together, then he could solve them more easily.

"Take Lucius to the Hospital Wing. Put him in a private room, then come and find me." He said.

"Yes, Master Severus." Abby said, and popped out.

Severus rolled his eyes and pulled on the thick robe that hung next to the door and walked out. Now to deal with the newborn Caelyx that started this mess. His godson, Draco.


	6. Chapter 6

**Caelyx and Calleach:**

**Chapter 5**

Severus billowed into the Slytherin common room and was stopped in his tracks by nearly three-quarters of his house packed into the corridor leading to the Fifth Year boy's dorms.

"Back to bed, all of you!" Severus shouted, "I will not write excuses for missing class because you were more interested in gossip than schoolwork!"

The Slytherin's fled before the wrath of their head of house. Only the Seventh Year students still working on their NEWT level homework remained in the common room. At Severus' glare they quickly turned back to their books, quills scribbling fiercely as they rushed to complete their assignments.

With one last glare around the common room, to make sure there were no little snakes still lingering, he turned down the Fifth year corridor. The barrier separating the Courts from the rest of the population flowed over him like water. Severus felt the magic judge and acknowledge him as not only a member of the Dark Court, but as a Calleach in his own right, Unbalanced though he was.

The power parted before him and allowed him to pass the threshold between the common room and the Fifth Year dorms. As soon as he entered the corridor another wave of power slammed into him. It staggered Severus for a moment, so like his lost Lily, but not. This power was stronger, more masculine; a warrior rather than a healer. He let Draco's power wash over and through him; searching for that piece of him left loose and broken when Lily dies. He had often wondered why he had not dies with Lily, as most bound pairs were wont to do. But as Draco's newborn Caelyx power washed through him and fitted the broken part of him back into place, he knew why he lived.

Draco was his charge now, and through Draco, Harry. In that moment, Severus ceased to see Harry as James Potter's son, but as he truly was; Lily Harenhall Evans' son, Calleach, last of the Harenhall's and the Potter's; and it was now Severus's job to keep both the Caelyx and his Calleach safe. It was Lily's last gift and her last order to him. And as the Peace of the Caelyx filled him, he heard Lily's voice again.

"Love them as you loved me, Sev, and they will bring you home." He heard, and felt her gentle touch against his face, "They have the experience and the temperament, but not the control or understanding. You must teach them how to be a true partnership. Harry needs control and compassion, and Draco needs to know what it is to be loved and how to turn destruction and fear and hatred into healing, peace and love. They are both so broken, Sev and you are the only one uncorrupted enough to teach them. They are yours now and you must be Calleach and Caelyx both for them. I love you Sev, I'll see you on the other side."

Lily's voice and touch faded and Severus entered the dormitory. The first thing he noticed was the blood lightly spattered over the room and its occupants, so different from the blood pattern of his own birth seventeen years ago. _Then again, _he thought to himself, _I don't have feathers. _

Calleach wings were more akin to bats or thestrals; thin membranes suspended between fragile bones, giving a fully transformed Calleach the appearance of the creatures the followers of the White Christ called _demons_. Then came the sight of his golden godson, unconscious, face strained with pain, yet still glowing with the White Grace that was so familiar and so different to him. The Greengrass girl was doing the best she could to help Draco, but her Grace was like a candle flame in the inferno of Draco's power.

Draco's eyes opened again and rested on Severus. "Papa Sev…" he whispered.

Severus allowed his wings to emerge through cleverly concealed slits in the back of his robe and he spilled the Black Grace of the Calleach through the room. Draco sighed and slipped into the first natural sleep of the night.

Draco taken care of for the moment, Severus turned his attention to the rest of the room. He had forgotten how it felt to invoke the Calleach. The power burned through him, stirring his hair in a wind created of the maelstrom of dark power, and filling his eyes with flames making his naturally dark eyes burn like a coal fire, beautiful and terrible in its endlessness.

Vincent and Daphne fell to their knees, unable to stand before the power of a full grown Calleach. Blaise alone remained standing. Severus could see the struggle in Blaise's eyes as he guarded the bound, silenced, and now, completely terrified, Theo Nott.

"Why is Mr. Nott bound on the floor, Mr. Zabini?" Severus asked, his voice thrumming with power.

"He betrayed the Balance, my Lord Severus." Blaise responded, with his head bowed.

"Explain." Severus commanded.

"When our Lord Caelyx was born, Nott advised us to turn him over to the Dark Lord Voldemort and expressed the desire to be Marked into Lord Voldemort's service." Blaise said.

"Indeed." Severus said, "What were you planning on doing with Mr. Nott?"

"Obliviate the events of tonight. Leave him the knowledge that the Caelyx is born, but unable to communicate the fact." Blaise said.

Severus raised his eyebrows at the vicious but appropriate punishment Blaise suggested for his wayward dorm mate. "Very creative, Mr. Zabini, proceed." Blaise hesitated and looked at Severus. "Is there a problem?"

"I don't know how to fine tune the spell and I really don't want to scramble Theo's brain." Blaise said.

"Very well, pay attention Mr. Zabini. To target specific memories, use the incantation _Obliviate Memoria, _and then keywords to designate the event; in this case, Draco's birth as the Caelyx." Severus explained, flicking his wand into his hand, "_Obliviate Memoria Noctrum Nativity Caelyxa Draconis._"

Theo's eyes glazed as the spell searched out and locked away the memories of Draco's transformation. Severus watches the spell work its way through Theo's mind. As the spell wound to its conclusion, Severus leaned down and whispered into his ear. "Know this Theodore Nott: The Caelyx is born and behind him comes his Calleach. The Balance will be restored and both the Lord of Light and your Dark Lord will fall. Unfortunately for you, you will not be able to warn anyone."

Severus could see the fear in Theo's eyes as the spell ended and his orders took root in Theo's scrambled mind.

"_Stupify._"Severus said, pointing his wand at Theo, "Put him back in his bed and let him sleep it off. If he continues to be a problem we will take more drastic measures."

"Um, My Lord Severus, the Dark Grace is a bit oppressive. If you could take our Caelyx to the hospital wing, we will deal with Theo and join you there." Blaise said.

Severus looked startled as if he did not realize he was still spilling Grace throughout the room. He made his way to Draco and touched his godson's shoulder, spilling the excess Grace from the room into the prone Caelyx. The oppressive power of Severus's Grace lifted; Vince and Blaise hauled the insensate Theo up off the floor and dumped him unceremoniously onto his bed. Daphne rose up and looked over the side of the bed.

"Why isn't he healing?" She asked, looking at Draco's wounds, "I thought the presence of a Calleach was supposed to heal the birth trauma, and any other non-immediately lethal wounds."

"That would be true if I were _his_ Calleach, the one who's Grace resonates exactly with his. However, I am not his Calleach. My Caelyx is dead. The most I can do for Draco is relieve some of the pain and let him sleep until we can bring him and Mr. Potter together." Severus explained.

"Where is Potter?" Vince asked, "Shouldn't he have come running when he felt Draco start to change?"

Severus realized that Vince was right, which came as quite a shock. Vincent Crabbe was _not_ the brightest potion in the cupboard. He absentmindedly stroked Draco's hair and another thought occurred to him.

"Mister Goyle and Miss Parkinson should have been back by now, bearing with them, if not Mr. Potter, then some member of the Bright Court. Unless…" Severus's hand stilled on Draco's head, his eyes widening as his mind went to the inevitable and devastating conclusion.

"Abby!" Severus shouted, "Take Draco, Mr. Crabbe and Miss Greengrass to the Hospital Wing. Mr. Zabini, come with me."


	7. Chapter 7

**Caelyx and Calleach:**

**Chapter 6**

Severus and Blaise barreled through the halls of Hogwarts, uncaring of the stares of the portraits and the damage they were doing to the calm and collected reputation of Slytherin House.

"Professor, what is going on?" Blaise panted.

"What if it wasn't _Draco_ that was the primary target of whatever triggered the transformation? What if the target was Potter? If Draco's birth was that violent, imagine the birth of an enraged or traumatized Calleach." Severus replied.

Blaise's eyes widened. "Shite, he will decimate the Bright Court. Even without the Dark Grace riding him, he is incredibly powerful."

"Indeed." Was Severus' reply and the two of them hit the grand staircase at a dead run. Whatever the scene in Gryffindor Tower, it must have been bad for Hogwarts herself to conspire to send them on the most direct route to the Tower.

When they arrived at the seventh floor landing, stumbling and panting, they found Greg and Pansy in crumpled heaps in front of a hysterical Fat Lady. Severus knelt next to his Slytherins, checking for the large pulse in the neck. Finding them strong and steady, he _enervated_ them. Leaving Greg to help Pansy off the floor, he turned to the Fat Lady.

"Light's Darkness." Severus practically growled. The password seemed to throw the slowly calming Fat Lady back into hysteria.

"I cannot Professor! There is no one of the Bright Court left to come!" the Fat Lady said through her sobs.

_Merlin's saggy left nut,_ Severus thought to himself; aloud he said "Master Over-ride: Calleach Call."

The portrait hole swung open revealing a scene that could rival any horror movie. Blood was spattered over every exposed surface including what looked like the majority of Gryffindor House; their bodies strewn about like so many bowling pins, looking for all the world like they had been attempting a mass exodus from the Tower. The youngest children were closest to the portrait hole; the oldest still on the stairs to the dorms.

In order to enter the Common Room proper, Severus and Blaise had to step over a body. The shock of long bright red hair showed it to be the female half of the younger set of Weasley twins, the first of the Bright Court they had seen.

They stepped carefully through the bodies, the only sounds in the eerily silent room; the softly cast spells the two used to check for life. They found nothing more harmful than cuts and bruises, whatever happened managed not to kill anyone. They found Luna Lovegood at the bottom of the staircase to the girl's dormitory, a gash in her forehead from where she had been tossed or blown down the stairs while she herded the Gryffindor girls down and out. Seamus Finnegan was in much the same condition at the bottom of the boy's staircase. Severus caught Blaise's eye; three of the Bright Court had been found. Where were the other two and, more importantly, where was Harry?

Blaise nodded toward the boy's dorms. It was the next logical step in determining what happened and the location of the missing Calleach. They found the last Weasley half way up the staircase, slumped against the Fourth Year door, a small pool of blood peeking out from behind him. Severus knelt down to find the source of the blood; this was the worst potential injury they had encountered so far. A flash of black in Ron's pale hand caught Blaise's eye.

"Severus, there is something in his hand." Blaise said softly.

Severus abandoned his search for Ron's injury to reach for his right hand. Based on the amount of blood, whatever caused the injury had either already closed or wasn't bad enough to kill him any time soon, Severus reasoned. He pried Ron's hand open revealing a crumpled black envelope; its silver wax seal imprinted with the gates of the underworld was cracked and broken.

_An official notice of death, _Severus thought, _in these times, not uncommon. One of the elder brothers perhaps, or one of the parents, as both sets of Weasley Twins are lying unconscious in various parts of Gryffindor Tower._

Severus, being a private person by nature, was loathe to invade some one else's. Still, the contents of the Black Missive may shed some light on the situation. Harry was known to be close to the ginger horde and a blow to them would nearly devastate the emotionally fragile young man. Severus opened the Black Missive and scanned it. It read like any other notification that Severus had received over the years. …_regret to inform you … extend our deepest condolences… _but when he saw the name of the deceased, his eyes closed in despair and understanding.

Dudley Dursley was the only member of Lily's adoptive family to treat Harry as anything other than a slave, a burden or a punching bag. When Poppy Pomfrey brought charges against Vernon and Petunia Dursley and liberated the Boy-Who-Lived five years ago, Harry begged for his cousin to come with him. Poppy agreed, taking them both, and even though Dudley was a Muggle, she raised them both the same and they thrived under her care, becoming more like brothers than cousins.

A death among the Weasley's would have hurt Harry, possibly set him back months or even years in his emotional development, but _this_ death, the death of the one person who had been the only constant and solace in Harry's life before Poppy, and the bridge between Harry's past and his future, _this_ would unhinge Harry to the point of insanity and beyond. It would force the Dark Grace within Harry to rise and awaken the sleeping Calleach.

Under normal circumstances, the Calleach would awaken with its Caelyx nearby, to calm and soothe it through the final transformation and into the Awakening, but this Calleach would rise insane, angry and alone; all his thoughts bent on vengeance and destruction, much like Voldemort 44 years earlier when his Caelyx died in a Potions accident. There was no hope for the Dark Lord without Polaris Black to balance him, but Harry could still be saved. His Caelyx was alive and well, and if Severus knew _anything_ about Draco, would be bitching up a storm when he woke.

They had to find Harry and the last member of the Bright Court, the Captain of the Calleach's Guard. Severus could only hope that they were together and that the Bright Captain had the same instinctive grasp of his duty and power that Blaise had.

Severus squeezed the Black Missive in his fist one more time, then opened his eyes and looked at Blaise, fear and determination shining in his onyx eyes.

"Dudley Dursley is dead. Come, we must find Potter and his Captain." Severus said, rising to his feet.


	8. Chapter 8

**Caelyx and Calleach:**

**Chapter 7**

They moved cautiously up the stairway, wands held ready, unsure of what they would encounter beyond the next door. They knew what they would find would test the limits of their hearts and sanity. The silence was too pure and oppressive for there to be anything good lurking on the other side of it. Rounding the tower stairs to the fifth year dorm, they encountered a barrier much like the one Pansy and Daphne had erected in the Slytherin dorm, only this one was designed not only to keep unwanted people away, but to keep sound in, as if the caster were trying to keep from traumatizing the occupants of the Tower with the sound and power of a Vengeance born Calleach.

Unlike the barrier in the dungeon which parted like water before the Courts, this barrier moved more like chilled molasses, the magic checking and rechecking, tasting and seeing, never quite believing or satisfied that they were who they said they were, until frustrated with the lack of progress, Blaise drew a portion of Draco's Grace to him and thrust it into the barrier, overloading the anchors that held it together when the magic failed to recognize them.

When the barrier fell, sound returned swiftly to Gryffindor Tower in the form of a soul-chilling wail that broke over Blaise and Severus like a wave. As the wail receded, they heard the steady cadence of a melody being repeated over and over again. Advancing, Severus pushed the door open gently and looked in surprise at the scene in front of him. In the very center of the destroyed dormitory, Neville Longbottom lay on his side, wrapped around a keening newborn Calleach, singing a very familiar tune.

_I went down to Satan's Kitchen_

_For to get me food one morning._

_And there I got souls, piping hot_

_Fresh off the spit a-turning._

_Still I sing bonny boys_

_Bedlam boys are bonny_

_For the all go bare and they live by the air_

_And they want no drink nor money._

Severus snorted when he recognized the song. A child who grew up with insanity, singing a newborn homicidal maniac songs about a lunatic asylum. Pretty much par for the course as far as this day was concerned, and it wasn't even dawn yet.

Blaise peered into the room from behind Severus, snickering lightly. He had recognized the tune as well.

"Really, Longbottom? _Bedlam Boys?"_ Blaise said.

Neville's head popped up over Harry's shoulder, a look of absolute relief on his face. "It was the only thing that worked, besides, I think he's too far gone to hear what I'm singing anyway. It's the rhythm that Harry is responding to."

It was then that they realized that although Neville was no longer singing, his hand still tapped out the rhythm of the song on the small of Harry's back, keeping the Calleach and Harry grounded to the here and now rather than lost in pain and despair.

Severus started to approach the pair on the floor, but the closer he came to the prone boys, the deeper Harry buried himself in Neville's arms.

"Professor, wait. Come back toward the door. I think I know what's wrong." Blaise called.

Severus backed away from Harry and Neville and sure enough, the further away Severus moved, the more Harry uncurled from Neville.

"Mr. Zabini, explain?" Severus asked.

"There is only so much Black Grace Neville can channel. With Harry being out of control, your Grace was overloading him and calling the Calleach. I'll do what I can, but I need Draco. Go to the Hospital wing, bring Draco _manually_, no house-elf popping. If we bring them together suddenly, they will destroy the Tower and everyone in it. A gradual rise in White Grace should simulate the circumstances of a proper birth enough to stabilize them both." Blaise said.

Severus nodded once then turned and billowed out of the dorm on his way to the Hospital Wing. It was a unique situation the boys were in, not only because of the circumstances of their births as Caelyx and Calleach, but because of the sheer amount of Unbalanced pairs they would have to deal with. Severus, himself, was sane enough, but Voldemort and Dumbledore? Well, two better candidates for the Janus Thicky Ward he had never seen. Even Frank and Alice Longbottom seemed healthy compared to those two genocidal maniacs.

Severus marveled at how well Blaise and Neville were handling these events. He knew, of course, that the Courts matured faster than their Balances, at 15 instead of 16, so that they had the better part of a year to adapt to the influx of power and learn to control it. Unfortunately, in this case, Neville had less than five months to learn all he needed, and poor Blaise had even less time, his birthday being at the end of August.

He shook himself out of pondering the teenagers and turned his thoughts to the rest of the problems he had to deal with. He was headed to the Hospital Wing, so he could let Poppy know what the hell was going on and get her working on Lucius and send Abby to deal with the luggage still cluttering up his sitting room. Then when Lucius was healed, he could help Poppy with the casualties from Gryffindor Tower, seeing as he was a fully qualified Mediwizard.

Severus would have the Hogwarts house-elves evacuate the Tower of everyone except Harry, Neville and Blaise. That way if things went sideways, there would be much less loss of life. He called for the head house-elf and started the evacuation of Gryffindor Tower. With all of the tower and dungeon elves taking two students at a time, the children should be safe in the Hospital Wing long before he brought Draco and Harry together. He was still pondering the wisdom of trusting a barely 15 year old student with multiple lives, including his own, no matter what his status in the wizarding world, when he walked into utter chaos.

"Severus Tobias Snape!" Severus winced when he heard his full name. The Infirmary Dragon was riled and it was his job to put everything in perspective.

"Now, Poppy..." he began, and was instantly cut off by the Mediwitch.

"Don't you 'now, Poppy' me, Severus. I have a newborn Caelyx, his traitor father who is also your lover, most of both Courts, nearly the entire residential population of Gryffindor Tower and a distraught house-elf in my infirmary and I have no idea why or what to do with them! Explanations had better be forthcoming, Mr. Snape, or I will be testing experimental spells and curses on you until one of us dies of old age!" With the threat hanging in the air, Poppy Pomfrey crossed her arms and stared at Severus, who blinked twice, gulped, then wisely explained everything that had happened since Greg and Pansy had woken him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Caelyx and Calleach:**

**Chapter 8**

Severus glared at Lucius who was currently standing between him and a still unconscious Draco. They had been arguing since Poppy had healed the crack in Lucius' skull and it was to a point where Severus was wondering if, perhaps, he should have made his escape with Draco _before_ Poppy woke Lucius up. He could have avoided a very painful fifteen minutes if he just had the sense to grab his godson and run. Fortunately, it seemed that Lucius was gearing up for his last ditch effort to persuade Severus out of whatever he had planned to do. Fifteen minutes was a record; Lucius must have known he was going to loose, but felt obligated to argue the point anyway. Severus stepped around the blathering blonde and picked up Draco, careful to support his wings in such a way that the unhealed wounds from their eruption would not cause further damage. Despite Poppy's best efforts, the injuries would not heal without the Black Grace of Draco's own Calleach. As much as it pained Severus to deny Lucius anything, he knew that bringing Draco to Harry was the only way to help them. He hefted Draco more comfortably in his arms and turned to leave, only to encounter Lucius, fear and worry shining in his silver-blue eyes.

"Severus, please, don't do this. If Blaise is wrong, I'll loose you both. I'm not sure I could survive that." Lucius said, pressing his forehead against Severus'.

Severus sighed deeply. To see his normally proud and brash lover reduced to begging hurt badly and, for a moment, he wished it didn't have to be like this; that he could acquiesce to Lucius' wishes and find another way. Unfortunately, this time, there was no other way. Severus looked up into the eyes of his lover.

"If Blaise is right, this may be the only way to save them both. Or would you have me condemn your son by blood and the son of the other half of my soul to unending pain and unconsciousness followed, eventually, by death and, possibly, the total obliteration of our way of life under either a crazed Lord of Light or a homicidal Dark Lord? Every choice we make ends in death, Lucius, the only question is which death will we choose? Will we be murdered by whichever Lord wins for crimes we committed at their behest; go out in a blaze of glory trying to restore the balance; or maybe, just maybe, die old and in our beds, having seen our sons grow and give us grandchildren, basking in their love and the afterglow of really fantastic sex. Which death will you choose Lucius?"

Lucius closed his eyes and sighed before laying a gentle and chaste kiss on Severus' thin lips. "You win, my Prince, you always win. Let me come with you?"

"Luc, Poppy..." Severus began.

"Poppy has things well in hand here, there are many children, but all the injuries are minor. My skills would be better used in the Tower when the boys wake. Also, if I am to die in 'a blaze of glory' as you so eloquently put it, I would like to be as close to you and Draco as possible."

_Damn and blast the man, _Severus thought, _he has a point. _All four of the boys were going to need Lucius by the time it was over and it sure as hell wasn't going to be a picnic for him either.

"Fine, you can come, but bring Abby with you. If things do go pear-shaped we will need her to get us out before the Tower collapses on us. And don't call me Prince. I haven't be a Prince in fourteen years."

"You will always be my Prince, Severus." Lucius said, pressing one last kiss to Severus' lips, "Abby! Let's go!"

The two men walked down the corridor in silence, Abby clinging to Lucius' robes as if they were a lifeline. Severus could feel Draco's Grace swirling around him, growing with every step toward Gryffindor Tower. He resisted the urge to release the hold on his own Grace and offer some comfort to the hurting and confused Caelyx in his arms. He allowed Draco's Grace to swirl and seed, unsatisfied, until the T-junction that lead either right to the Grand Staircase or left to Gryffindor Tower.

By this time, Draco was stirring and murmuring in Severus' arms, and Severus could feel Blaise's pull on Draco's Grace, but there was something else in the pull that startled Severus; a fourth presence where there should have been only three. The pull grew and became a loop of changing Grace as Severus and Lucius made the turn down Gryffindor Corridor and suddenly Severus understood the fourth presence in the loop. Blaise and Neville were soul-bound, much their Princes would be, and between them had managed to create a feedback loop of Black and White Grace using themselves as the exchange points.

_Like capillaries in the body exchanging oxygenated blood for depleted blood, _Severus thought, _I wonder how they managed that._ Draco's voice brought Severus out of his thoughts and he realized they were almost at the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Severus, put me down. I can walk on my own." Draco said, pushing at Severus' arms.

"Draco, son, I really don't think..." Lucius started.

"Father, I love you very much, but stay out of this. It's one thing to love a Prince; it's a whole different thing to be one. As of right now, you have no opinion. Severus, put... me... _down_!" Draco insisted, squirming hard enough that Severus dropped him. "Ow. Not what I had in mind, but it will do. You two stay here." Draco said, pulling himself off the floor, leaving a bloody smear behind and shaking out his wings, spraying Lucius and Severus with a fine mist of blood and other questionable substances.

Severus rolled his eyes and wiped the goo from his face with the sleeve of his robe. Lucius, however, had never learned when to keep his mouth shut.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy! You can barely stand, much less climb all the way up the Tower stairs. Now you let Severus or I..." Lucius was abruptly silenced when he flew back down the corridor toward the Hospital Wing with an angry Caelyx glaring daggers at him.

"Shut up! Just shut up! Apparently, Father, there are things you are not comprehending, so permit me to enlighten you." Draco hissed, eyes blazing pure silver, the pupils lost in the radiant power of the Caelyx illuminating his slender body. "First, I am not yours to control anymore. Once I came into my own, I became my own man, not subject to you or anyone else aside from my Calleach, so you can knock that controlling crap off. What you do with Severus is your own business, but I am not going to put up with it.

"Second of all, it is _highly_ disconcerting being this close to Severus while in my unbound state. My Grace is pulled in two different directions; it reaches for Severus and gets confused when it is rebuffed, then it reaches for Harry, but he is too far away, Severus' Grace masks Harry's and I can't filter them.

"And third, if I am this dangerous un-bonded, disconcerted, and _aware_, what must Harry be going through? He's lost and alone, the only bits of my Grace he is getting are the bits Neville and Blaise are giving him and that's not nearly enough to stabilize him even this far. Severus can't go, he will overwhelm Neville, and you can't go because you will _die._ Please, Father, I have already lost my Mother, don't let me loose the only blood I have left. Stay here with Severus. I'll crawl up the Tower stairs if I have to, but I have to go alone. I can't even guarantee Blaise and Neville's safety, but they were born for this, you weren't. Stay here." Draco finished, not noticing the tears cascading down his face.

The tears more than anything convinced Lucius to heed his son's command. He nodded, unable to find the words to reassure Draco. Evidently, it was enough, for he nodded back to Lucius and walked to the portrait hole that lead to the Gryffindor Common Room.

Lucius allowed Severus to help him up and held on to him as Severus' arms surrounded him. He buried his face in the crook of Severus' neck as Draco looked back once, still shining his Grace, then disappeared through the portrait hole. They stayed wrapped in each others arms for a while, then, the world exploded.


End file.
